CAPE HANGKLIP Rooiels & Pringle Bay

Public Participation document : CAPE HANGKLIP Rooiels & Pringle Bay Overstrand Heritage Landscape Group: Nicolas Baumann, Sarah Winter, Melanie Attwell, Graham Jacobs, Harriet Deacon & Harriet Clift Prepared for the Overstrand Municipality June 2009 DRAFT Public Participation Document June 2009 2 OHLG - NB, 08/05/2009 Description The coastal plateau stretching from Rooi Els to Kleinmond comprises a series of discrete settlements with their own distinct characters based primarily on their specific topographical settings and to a lesser extent on their historical origins. The sub-region is characterised by a dramatic and dynamic landscape, comprising of a high mountain backdrop, a relatively steep sweep down to a narrow coastal plain marked by seasonal wetlands and a rocky shoreline, interspersed with sandy beaches. The flora is of an extremely high quality. The area has a high conservation value and has been declared a UNESCO biosphere region. Settlements occur as nodes set into this dramatic natural landscape that, with the mountain sweep from crest to rocky coastline, establishes the predominant character of the landscape. A sense of balance is evident between the natural landscape and the settlement pattern; of villages set in nature. The diversity of the landscape has also resulted in villages of differing character. Rooi Els has developed in a compact and organic form related primarily to the nature of the promontory adjacent to the Rooi Els rivermouth. The river, the beach, the promontory and the steep mountainside setting constitutes the primary form-giving structure elements of the village. A sense of isolation is evident; of a village set in a highly dramatic natural setting quite distinct from the other villages in the Overstrand region. The ecological and scenic qualities of the place are dependent on the appropriate management of new development and alterations and additions to existing structures. The exploitation of regulations relating to height restrictions and inappropriate house sitings, massing and bulk constitute a threat to the existing ecological balance and scenic quality of the place. Betty’s Bay has developed as a loose, dispersed linear village from the early decades of the twentieth century. The dispersed character of the place is in strong contrast to the compact nature of Rooi Els. The primary form giving elements are the sweep from mountain to rocky coastline with a continuity of green from mountain to sea, established primarily by the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens and the green link through to Dawid’s Kraal, an early outspan area. A distinctive feature of Betty’s Bay is the series of inland lakes located immediately behind the frontal dune systems which are ecologically sensitive and of great visual spatial significance. The value of the place relates to its dramatic natural setting, comprising mountains, inland lakes and a rocky shoreline interspersed by a series of bays and sandy beaches. The built form has responded in a variety of ways to this natural setting with no discernable pattern evident in the road layout and architectural response. Although a sense of balance is evident in terms of the natural landscape and the settlement pattern, threats are evident in the form of inappropriate intrusions into sensitive ecological zones, in particular the front dunes and wetland systems, and inappropriate massing, form and architectural response on the visually exposed mountain slopes. In contrast to the villages of Rooi Els and Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond has been planned in the form of a linear grid-iron pattern of rectangular urban blocks set between the rocky coastline and the main road and stretching from the lagoon mouth in the east to Visbaai in the west. These two areas form the historic cores of the village and reflect the nature of racial dislocation which characterised the Western Cape towns in the latter half of the twentieth century. The fishing community was displaced from the natural harbour at Visbaai in terms of Group Areas legislation and relocated to a township above the main road, creating a dislocation between a community and its traditional form of subsistence. The recreational area around the lagoon at the river mouth is a place of considerable historical and recreational significance. The grid-iron pattern of streets has contributed to streetscapes of some aesthetic significance, particularly when views towards the sea are framed by green verges with sensitive boundary treatments. A sense of connectivity between the village and the coastline is thus established to a greater extent than is evident at Rooi Els and Betty’s Bay. As in the other villages in this sub-region there is no coherent architectural character or landscaping treatment which could be regarded as being conservation worthy. There are isolated examples of traditional bungalow/rondawel architecture dating from the 1920s and 1930s but they are scattered and do not contribute to any coherent grouping. Significance in all instances relates predominantly to the dramatic setting between mountain and sea. DRAFT Public Participation Document June 2009 3 OHLG - NB, 08/05/2009 Aerial photography: Rooiels to Kleinmond DRAFT Public Participation Document June 2009 4 OHLG - NB, 08/05/2009 Statement of heritage significance Cultural significance is defined as “aesthetic, architectural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic, technological value or significance”. (NHR Act). Architectural significance There are a few isolated examples of conservation worthy structures. Significance of the built environment relates primarily to representivity; as typical examples of their period rather than due to any architectural excellence. There are a small number of buildings in Betty’s Bay that are good examples of the modern period and associated with prominent architects such as Gawie Fagan and Pius Pahl which are considered worthy of being included in the heritage register. Aesthetic significance Aesthetic significance resides primarily in the dramatic visual and environmental setting of the different settlements and the sense of balance between natural landscape and settlement. Mountains, inland lakes, river mouths and a combination of a rocky and sandy shoreline, and the extensive coastal fynbos all contribute to the considerable aesthetic scenic significance of the area. The natural and scenic setting is thus predominant over the architectural fabric. Social and historical Social significance relates primarily to the extensive use of the area for recreational purposes, from the tradition of farmers from the Caledon area coming down to the coastline during the holiday season to the more permanent occupation of the area for second holiday homes during the latter half of the twentieth century. The role of the area for commonage is thus a distinctive feature. Social significance also relates to the continuous and enduring use of the coastline for fishing purposes by local communities. This sense of balance between marine resources and the role such resources played in local community subsistence has lately been disrupted by the over-exploitation of marine resources, particularly the harvesting of perlemoen for the overseas market. Social historical significance relates to the role of the area as a place of refuge for deserters and runaway slaves from the early colonial period. Early permanent settlement can be traced back to the fisherman’s cottages at the present Kleinmond harbour from circa 1850, later known as Jongensklip. The dislocation of this community to the location known as Proteadorp in terms of Group Area legislation and the extent to which racial segregation is expressed in the structure and form of Kleinmond village and the broader region, particularly in terms of access to the coastline and sea has social and historical significance. The social history of racial segregation in the area is contained in the appendix. Scientific significance Scientific significance relates primarily to the rich bio-diversity of the region and the extensive archaeological remains. DRAFT Public Participation Document June 2009 5 OHLG - NB, 08/05/2009 Technological significance Technological significance relates to the role of radar stations at Hangklip and Stony Point in Betty’s Bay during the Second World War and the variety of fishing enterprises, including the whaling station at Stony Point at the beginning of the twentieth century. Spiritual Significance Spiritual significance relates primarily to the role of the natural environment in providing a place of refuge and reflection and the role of the natural environment in the everyday lives of local communities. Vulnerabilities The heritage of the area can be considered to be under threat due to inappropriate developments that do not take sensitive ecological resources and processes into consideration and which impact on scenic value due to inappropriate massing, form, scale, height, materials and architectural character. More specifically, threats to heritage value include: • The exploitation of height regulations to create inappropriate building forms, particularly on steep slopes. • Over-scaled developments on the coastline which disrupts the visual flow from mountain to coastline. • Inappropriate boundary treatments which distract the balance between settlement and natural landscape and which contribute to a suburban character. • Overscaled developments which impact negatively on the fine-grained nature of the area. • The cacophony of architectural styles which creates

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